Final answer:
Decentralized finance (DeFi) characterizes systems operating on a blockchain, providing financial services without intermediaries, and being open to anyone with Internet access, not just a select group. DeFi is largely unregulated by any governing body.
Step-by-step explanation:
Decentralized finance (DeFi) is characterized by a handful of key attributes. Firstly, DeFi is indeed a system that operates on a blockchain, offering financial services that are enabled by this technology. Secondly, it allows users to access these services without needing traditional financial intermediaries, such as banks, and thus promotes a more direct interaction between parties in the financial ecosystem. However, the statement that DeFi applications are only available to a select group of individuals is incorrect; indeed, one of the core principles of DeFi is its openness and accessibility to anyone with Internet access and a suitable digital wallet. Lastly, DeFi is indeed largely unregulated by any single governing body, operating instead in a global, borderless context where users are governed by the code of smart contracts.